A stabbing operation targeting Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank left one settler dead and at least three others injured on Tuesday, according to local Palestinian media reports.

The incident occurred at the Gush Etzion junction, south of Bethlehem, where Israeli outlets, including Haaretz, confirmed that four settlers were wounded—one of whom later succumbed to his injuries. Israeli emergency services reported that the deceased was a man in his 30s.

Israeli authorities described the incident as a combined ramming and stabbing operation. The Israeli military said it received an initial alert from the scene before deploying troops to the area. In reaction, Israeli soldiers opened fire and killed the two Palestinian attackers, whom Palestinian media described as carrying out a martyrdom operation against occupation forces and settlers.

Following the attack, the Israeli army imposed a security cordon around several villages in the Etzion Brigade area, launching raids and setting up checkpoints as part of what residents described as collective punishment measures frequently implemented after similar incidents.

In a separate development, The Times of Israel reported that Israeli troops mistakenly opened fire on a woman in the vicinity, injuring her. No additional details were immediately available regarding her condition.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions across the occupied West Bank, where increased Israeli military raids, settler violence, and movement restrictions have fueled growing Palestinian resistance operations against Israeli targets. (ILKHA)